The new cultivar was discovered as the product of a breeding program conducted in Winter Haven, Fla., by the breeder David Weber. ‘Winter Bell’ was selected from open pollinated seedlings of the undistributed, unpatented variety referred to by code FL 95-174 which were planted in Winter Haven, Fla. in June, 2008. The pollen parent is unknown. Due to its earliness and fruit quality ‘Winter Bell’ was selected for yield evaluation in 2012. ‘Winter Bell’ was evaluated as a single plant test against other commercial varieties in 2012 and 2013 and planted in a confidential, controlled field test plot in June, 2013.
‘Winter Bell’ has been asexually propagated over numerous generations by softwood cuttings in Winter Haven, Fla., and all propagated material has retained the vegetative and fruit characteristics of the mother plant. First asexual propagation was performed June 2012, in Winter Haven, Fla. at a commercial nursery.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘WINTER BELL’ by vegetative cuttings was performed at the nursery in Hawthorne, Fla. in September of 2007. Vegetative reproduction by cuttings has produced multiple generations, and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type through successive generations.